10 Elegant & Simple Tablescape Ideas
For The Holidays
There is nothing better than sitting down to a beautiful table with your favorite friends and family. As we gather around a table to share food, wine and conversation we want our guests to always feel comfortable and welcomed.
When the place settings are carefully set with purpose and, the floral arrangements and holiday decor are sparkling, your guests will instantly be in the mood for celebration.
Whether you set a simple elegant table or one like an interior decorator, it’s up to you. We have some fun ways to take your holiday tablescape up a notch or two.
No matter what style you are looking for, we hope these suggestions will inspire you to set a festive tablescape for your holiday guests.
Whether you are entertaining for Thanksgiving dinner, Hanukkah, New Year or Christmas, I hope these table setting ideas will inspire you to try something new.
Figuring out what color scheme you want to use is a good first step. What color dinner plates do you plan to use? This may determine how you want to decorate your table.
I love white dinner plates because they go with any color scheme.
1. Glam It Up- With Black and Gold
Black and gold combination is striking. This Victorian Crown Linen table runner can be used year-round to add elegance to any dining table or sideboard. For a fun look, use two table runners for a long table. Run the table runner down both sides of the table. The runner can act as a placemat. Use a table scarf in the middle of the table and scrunch it up around a floral arrangement to center the table.
The tableware aboive is by Arte Italica featured is hand-etch and painted with 24-karat gold highlights. Italian glass, Hand -made in Italy. Oh la la.
2. Add Greenery To Your Table
Adding greens to your table not only brings a nice texture, it smells good too! I always cut branches from various trees and grab holly bushes to mix with flowers and fun holiday decorations and bulbs.
Take a walk in your garden and see what greens you can use for your table. Pine, cedar or evergreen branches of magnolia, holy or salal and, pine cones works great for a centerpiece or lay on top of your table runner.
Or, tie the branches around a napkin. It’s a snap. Look at the sweet little branches stuffed into the ribbon around the napkins below. Love that idea.
3. Outdoor-Al Fresco Dining
Depending where you live, many people are planning on entertaining outside. If you are planning on serving up simple snacks and meals, consider an Italian or Parisian styled table setting. Shop Pasta Italiana at Rosanna Design. The gorgeous hand printed French tablecloths offer you an authentic feeling of eating Al Fresco in Europe.
You can never go wrong with a white tablecloth outdoors. It’s clean and offers that ideal backdrop for any color you want to add.
4. Decorate With Christmas Bulbs
Christmas bulbs add a fun element and sparkle to almost every area of your home including your dining room table. Christmas table decorations can be as easy as tree ornaments.
I hung my blue and silver hand blown glass bulbs from the chandelier with fishing wire or with a transparent ribbon so they appear to be hanging in the air. Such a pretty way to add an elegant festive look to any table.
Another idea is to roll a crisp white napkin and tie it loosely with ribbon. Slide a narrow length of ribbon through the knot of the wide ribbon, pull the ends of the wide ribbon to tighten the knot. Then thread festive ornaments onto the ends of the ribbon and secure.
Not only do bulbs look amazing carefully placed stacked in a large vase, placed on each plate or hung from the chandelier.
5. Dress The Chairs
I decorated our chairs with these cute mini-wreaths made from pinecones. I sprayed the wreaths with silver paint then clued tiny pearls to the pinecones to add a jewel effect. You can find mini wreaths at craft stores or dollar stores or make them yourself from faux branches, bells or greens.
Another idea is to drape a piece of fabric — a pretty towel, oversized napkin, or silk scarf — over the back of a chair and wrap a ribbon around the chair. Secure the ribbon in a knot at the back of the chair. See the images above for inspiration.
Use your fresh greens to add some interest. Pin greens and ribbon to the back of the chairs as another fun way to dress a chair for the holidays.
6. Floral and Live Plant Arrangements
You can never go wrong with a gorgeous floral arrangement and classic linens from Crown Linen as pictured above. Another fun idea is to use paper whites or Lily of the Valley plants to accessorize the dining room table.
7. Festive Dinnerware & Placemats
Talk about festive! The Crown Linen Natale is the perfect collection to entertain through the winter season. Berries and pine boughs surround the snowy evergreens. Natale napkin and runner pair perfectly with Arte Italica’s Natale Christmas pattern. It’s a stunning combination.
Look how pretty these lovely velvet ruffle placemats are! Gal Pal Goods now has matching velvet runners and placemats from Crown Linen. See here.
The ruffle placemats are a crowd favorite- your guests will go nuts over them. I promise.
8. The Cozy Table Setting
If you are setting the table for a family with children, then the stocking setting idea is ideal. Seriously, how cute is this?
9. Artistic DIY Embellishments
How about making a DYI craft for your table? Try using interesting or plain ornaments and then decorating with glitter and glue. Tap off excess glitter and let dry. Glue the embellished ornaments to mirrored discs (available at crafts stores).
Remove the ornament hangers, pour a little water in the ornament and insert flowers and berries.
Get creative with place cards too. Decorate the cards with your personal style.
10. Candles
If you are looking for a way to create a pretty tablescape without too much fuss… just add candles! Let’s face it… candles add romance and a warm atmosphere to any table. Votives or candles sticks are easy peasy. On my table I placed an extra large Voulpsa Candle from Nordstrom in the center of the table. I love this as a gorgeous centerpiece on the dining room table.
Happy Holidays Friends!
Thank you for the festive ideas!! The last one is my fav–and I recognize the table and large candle!! ox